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Assurance for homeless teenagers
Michael Carlson
Record Staff Writer
September 30, 2007
 Martha Murphy claps along as teens from the Assurance Home sing her a happy birthday. (Daily Record/Michael Carlson)
The non-profit organization raised an estimated $27,000 at the beginning of Sunday afternoon's East Meets West luncheon, according to Executive Director Ron Malone.
About 250 people paid $100 to eat an Asian-styled meal that was prepared by Santa Fe-based Peas 'n' Pod Catering Inc. at no cost to Assurance Home.
According to Peas 'n' Pod co-owner Catherine O'Brien, the smiles at the end of the day are the best reward for the time, talent and money she donates to the non-profit organization located in Roswell.
"It feels so good to help other people," the master chef said.
Malone has been involved with Assurance for almost three decades. The purpose of starting the home was to create a nice place for children to feel welcome, he said.
He said the greatest part of being involved in the program is working with the kids. Started in 1979, about 18 teenagers from ages 14 to 18 are currently housed on 16 acres of land in Roswell.
"We're such a blessed program," he said.
Martha Murphy, a former board member of Assurance Home, got involved with the home because she saw the good that the program was doing.
That was a little more than 20 years ago.
"Brenda [Malone] and I watched it develop from an adobe two-bedroom house to a beautiful landscaped home," Murphy said.
The Assurance Home provides counselors, called child-care workers, who help the kids adjust to their new surroundings and become productive citizens, according to Rudy Hunter, a child-care worker with the home.
Fellow childcare worker Edna Hernandez said Assurance Home is a beautiful and wonderful place for the teenagers after undergoing various hardships in previous environments.
"You get to know yourself a little better," she said.
Offered at the group home is art therapy, horsemanship and a number of other activities for the teens.
The James Ranch Shelter was started in 2004 and provides temporary housing and services to children between the ages of 12 and 18. Children who come to the shelter have sometimes been abused or abandoned, the Web site said.
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